Foodlovers Foodtalk Forum

Recipes that freeze well

Currently my best friend is dealing with her husband of 4 months being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and along side that her husband's best friend is also having treatment for cancer. We've kind of inherited the care of the best friend as he has no family, and obviously now my best friend is a bit consumed with her own husband's care. (Confused yet?)
Anyway, I'm looking for recipes that I can cook for myself, hubby and son one night and then package up and pop into my friend's freezer so she can feed herself (her husband is nauseated and not eating much), and also to pop into our friend's freezer who is having chemo. Ideally if I can get 6-8 serves out of the recipes that works well, as I also like to have the odd portion packaged up for my son to have for lunches during the week. So I'm after your best recipes for things that will freeze and reheat well, and be tasty and nutritious for people who aren't really feeling like eating much.

Yes please TPANDAV, I've made mousakka several times but I've never really found it to deliver, so if you have a good recipe to share that would be great.

However I'm trying not to rely on mince, a lot of things like lasagne and shepherd's pie do freeze and reheat well, but it gets a bit boring to have mince, mince and mince again. I've done a nice Morrocan chicken hotpot with couscous and a beef casserole with pumpkin mash which have gone down well, and I also did some Hunza pies that were also enjoyed.

Do they have to be meat dishes? I make a savoury bread and butter pudding with chunks of steamed pumpkin, sauteed leeks and feta pieces in it. I use bread made by a local bakery which has walnuts in it, but any bread that has some 'body' and a bit of flavour would be nice. You can vary this - add mushrooms, red capsicum, a little onion marmalade etc. It freezes really well.

Nope, vege dishes very welcome, especially with lots of flavour, I'm just not very good at vege cooking! That B&B pudding sounds nice, is it similar to a strata? I've made that before but wasn't sure about freezing it.

Any great soup recipe is a god send as sometimes it is not only a complete meal but a great filler when you aren't sure what you want. I am in the thick of roast pumpkin soup at the moment as hubby has grown some orange buttercups ( if only he would grown 1 or 2 plants instead of acres!) I simply wipe the outside cut into quarters, de-seed, throw into roasting dish with anything that needs using in the vege bin (carrots, onions, kumara, potatoes, peppers, cauli etc) sprinkle with seasonnng herbs & sometimes chilli flakes, drizzle with a little oil and roast until soft. If I remember I will add a head of garlic (with just the top cut off) about 20 mins prior to finish. Wait until cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh off the pumpkin skin, cover in chicken stock & blend. I freeze in 2x serving size leaving it thick (so I can get more in the freezer) & thin as desired.

Avoid adding milk or dairy as this can play havoc with some treatments & they can always thin with milk if desired.

A nice beef mild curry or beef casserole is hearty as well as rice or pasta is quick to add as a side, add the vege so it makes it a heat & eat, one pot wonder. I also regularly make the chicken dish that tastes like roast chicken & gravy without the bones as that freezes well.

Sometimes for folks working through treatment taste is a 'indecisive ' thing, but whatever you make will be hugely appreciated, simply for the care, love and attention that comes with it. Do keep it to single or smaller serves as you can always take 2 out of the freezer, just label clearly. Margarine, 1 litre yoghurt or those cheap little plastic containers are ideal then they don't have to worry about what belongs to whom.

Heat grill, slice eggplants 1 cm, brush with oil, grill on medium heat until browned on both sides and soft. Set aside.

To make sauce, heat oil in large pan over medium heat.

If using raw minced lamb put the lamb in the pan and stir to break up lumps, cook until starting to brown. Add onion and garlic, stir 5 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and stir constantly for a few minutes to caramelise. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, stir well, leave over low heat for about an hour to cook down and reduce to a thick sauce. Stir occasionally.

If using minced cooked lamb start by cooking onions and garlic in oil, add paste and caramelise, add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 1 hour to a thick sauce. Then add cooked lamb and combine well.

To make topping beat everything together to a lumpy batter.

To assemble, either use a roasting dish or two wide oven-proof dishes. Oil the dishes, layer ½ of the eggplant, ½ of the sauce, repeat, then pour topping over. Using a knife or handle of a wooden spoon poke holes between the edge of the dish and the moussaka so that some of the topping oozes down the sides - make the holes about 6cm apart.

Bake at about 180 C for about an hour or until the topping is firm and browned in patches. Take out of oven and leave to settle for at least 20 minutes before serving.

NB:

You could add a couple of chopped red capsicums with the onions

The sauce needs to be really thick, with no free liquid, otherwise the moussaka will be watery.

Sorry to hear so many awful things are going on for the people around you. Here's another vote for soup. I had surgery earlier this year and put two weeks worth of food in the freezer in advance, including pre-packs of stuff to drop into the slow cooker, but I have to say I was disappointed with a lot of it because with anything that had pieces of veges in it the veges were mushy. Blended soups came out the best, and they are also easy to reheat and easy to eat if you're stressed. Savoury muffins are a great accompaniment and also freeze well - I used TPANDAV's recipe (I think it was TPANDAV!) and they were delicious.

What you need
1 onion chopped.
4 garlic cloves chopped.
2-3 tablespoons oilve oil.
500g beef mince – we use PREMIUM.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can chopped tomatoes.
1 tube tomato puree.
1 can water or more if needed.
4 anchovies – use the ones in the glass bottles rather than the fresh brined ones at the deli.
1 cup olives – any will do and its better without stones.
½ cup capers or halved caper-berries.
1 teaspoon chili powder or 1 fresh chili chopped finely. (OPTIONAL)
Pasta or rice to serve it on top of.

How to make
Saute the onions and garlic till soft and clear
Add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon but not too much.
When the mince has browned and created colour to the bottom of the pan, add a bit of the water to deglaze. (this means you scrape the delicious bits from the bottom as they add to the flavour of the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the chopped tomatoes, puree and extra water and simmer (quite low) with the lid on for about 40 minutes.
Check the sauce and add more water if it’s becoming too thick.
You can simmer it for quite some time, just make sure you check and add more water so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
After about 40 minutes add the anchovies, olives, chilies and capers.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Simmer for a further 10 minutes
You can use the sauce straight away but it tastes even better the next day.
Serve with your favourite pasta or even on top of rice.

Thank you for that recipe TPANDAV, I'll add that to next week's menu. I wonder if anyone can guide me to the savoury muffins referenced earlier, I'm yet to find a recipe that I feel really works well for me flavour wise. I'm making a chicken pot pie, some rissoles with mash and beef gravy, and some pumpkin/kumara soup with muffins to fill the freezers this week. I'm not aiming to completely feed them, just to have some options in the freezer to turn to when the day has been a tough one and something other than a quick takeaway would be nice.

Several years ago when my late brother was having treatment and not mentally or physically up to preparing meals for himself I would cook extras and freeze them for him. Prior to his illness he ate almost exclusively heavily spiced asian meals but once his treatment started he was no longer able to tolerate extremes of flavour, so this became one of his favourites as he said it was flavourful without being overpowering and, unlike some red meat meals, gentle on his system: [explorerstreet.blogspot.co.nz]

I got the original recipe from the San Remo website but it's no longer there. I'm sure there was less capsicum (either colour worked) and more zucchini in that. However, it's obviously readily adaptable.
Lynne2

TPANDAV, those muffins are very good. Have just had one myself as quality control, and DS has just arrived home and demanded to eat one too, and tells me he'll be having them for lunch...might have to make another batch for our friends at this rate!

Hi Griz , besides the meals that are needed I had a neighbour who was very
ill after chemo . She always asked me to make her a pavlova roll filled with
cream and frozen raspberries. It wasnt sweet and the rasp were refreshing.
I realise it wont be for all , my sister wanted raspberry fizzy drink from
Mc Donalds ..... funny tho it sounds .